


Checkmate

by mellifluousharbringer



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, tomione - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-07-15 06:12:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16057193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mellifluousharbringer/pseuds/mellifluousharbringer
Summary: Tomione AU.Hermione is a brilliant scientist, fresh out of college and ready to take on the world.Dr. Tom Riddle runs a successful research lab that stretches the limits of scientific knowledge.Not much is needed to spark a reaction.





	1. Begin Play

July 5

"Up next, H. Granger."

The woman with tangled black hair tapped her clipboard impatiently.

"Dr. Riddle is very busy."

Hermione Granger straightened her cobalt skirt, heels clicking as she walked forward and stuck out her hand.

"I'm H. Granger. Hermione." she said, "I'm grateful to be given the opportunity to-"

"Let's see how the interview goes." The woman openly smirked at Hermione, eyeing her up and down. "Follow me."

Hermione followed the woman down a wide, bright hallway. The tiles were white, polished to a sleek, mirrored shine-Hermione could see her wild curls escaping her bun. The woman gestured to an ebony door with that had scripted silver letters reading  _Dr. T. Riddle, Chemistry PhD, Biology PhD_.

"Try to do your best," the woman smirked again, "and don't take up too much of his time."

Hermione gave the woman a half smile. "Thank you for your concerns about efficiency."

With that, Hermione straightened her spine and pushed the door open.

The first thing Hermione noticed was the floor. The tiles were mirrored, just like the hallway, but alternated black and white, like a chessboard. Hermione lifted her eyes to see a man sitting at an enormous dark wooden desk, shadowed in front of a wall made completely out of glass. Sunlight streamed through the glass making it hard to see the man's face. Hermione stepped closer, her heels echoing on the chessboard tiles.

"Dr. Riddle? I'm Her-"

"-Hermione Granger." The man smoothly stood and gestured toward the single chair in front of his desk. "Sit."

Hermione sat, the white plastic chair groaning as she did. Dr. Riddle's navy eyes shone from his shadowed face as he ran his finger down piece of paper, which Hermione recognized as her resume.

"Graduated top of your class from Stanford, recently acquired degrees in Psychology and Biology, researched Marfan syndrome gene therapy, co-wrote a heading article in Psychology Today, started a student non-profit, and a glowing recommendation from Dr. Dumbledore, no less."

Dr. Riddle, still standing, put his hands on his desk and leaned forward. "With your background and achievements, you could have any job in the country. You are more qualified than some of the dunces who have PhD's in this building. Why do you want to work for me?"

"So many people are doing research that doesn't push boundaries. Anybody could put chemicals into test tubes and run tests."

Hermione locked eyes with Riddle. "I want to push boundaries. I want to learn things that…nobody has ever thought of before. I want more. I want to expand the edges of scientific discovery."

Hermione leaned forward in her chair, putting her hands prone on Riddle's desk to emphasize her words. "I've read all your research. Your lab pushes limits. You explore things that are worth exploring."

Riddle removed his hands from the desk, sinking fluidly into his chair, eyes still trained on Hermione. He crossed his arms, his starched white shirt shifting against his biceps as he moved.

"This job is a demanding one," Riddle began, "It's more than nine to five. Our research, our theories will consume your thoughts. You will be assisting me and will be at the lab when I am here, which is very often. Can you handle it?"

Hermione thought of her non-existent social life, her failed attempts at romance. She thought of her tiny, dingy apartment back in California. She thought of her boredom and exasperation with her current job.

Hermione gave Dr. Riddle a fierce, untamed smile, showing him all of her ambition and resolve. Her amber eyes blazed with intelligence and motive, and she began to speak.


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione stabbed at the elevator button furiously, trying to will the elevator to come quickly.

“Come on, come on,” she muttered, “faster, faster.”

Hermione was running late to her first day of work at Dr. Riddle’s research lab.

She had set her alarm extra early, picked out her best dress, and ate a balanced breakfast. However, when she walked to the parking lot of her new apartment building, her car wasn’t there. Two rapid phone calls to her super and one call to the cities towing service later, Hermione caught the bus to the tow lot. She paid an exorbitant amount for her Beetle to be freed and sped the entire way to work.

The creaky metal elevator doors parted, and Hermione all but leapt inside. She jabbed the seventh-floor button and sighed. Hermione hated to be late, but she _despised_ making a bad first impression. Dr. Riddle picked Hermione out of hundreds of qualified applicants, and she wanted this job badly. Hermione turned her head over and shook her head, fluffing her curls out with her fingers. She straightened the hem of her black dress and pressed her feet squarely into her heels. The elevator doors squeaked open.

“Here we go,” Hermione whispered, stepping onto the white and black checked tile.

Her heels rang out on the reflective surface as she rushed toward Dr. Riddle’s office. Just as she was reaching a hand toward the doorknob, the door jerked open. Dr. Riddle stood in the threshold, his handsome face set in annoyance.

“You are _ten minutes late_ ,” Riddle snapped, crossing his arms and glaring irritably at Hermione. “I thought I was clear on how important this job is.”

Hermione gulped, staring up at Riddle’s incensed expression.

“I am so sorry. I apologize for—”

“No excuses. No apologizes. If it happens again, you will be terminated.” Dr. Riddle’s eyes connected fiercely with Hermione’s. “Don’t make me regret hiring you, Miss Granger.”

Dr. Riddle turned on Hermione and started down the hallway.

“Follow me,” he said, not bothering to turn his head, “we have work to do. My week has already been tainted by a complete _asshole_ parking their idiotic red Beetle in _my_ parking space. I had to call a towing service.”

Hermione gulped, trying to keep a guiltless look on her face. That red Beetle had been a present from her parents on her sixteenth birthday. She had thought it was endearing.

“That’s terrible,” she said, trying to seem considerate and innocent, “did that happen here?”

“At my apartment parking lot.” Riddle replied tersely.

 

* * *

 

            Dr. Riddle paused in front of a heavy grey door plastered with chemical labels and entered a code on a side keypad. “My lab,” he said curtly, “Nobody comes in here without my permission. Nobody comes in when I am not here.”

            He pulled the door open, and Hermione followed him in. The lab was large and spacious, almost like a warehouse. The ceiling was dotted with bright fluorescent lights that shone on pristine lab tables, chemical cabinets, and expensive looking machines. Chalkboards and TV screens lined the walls of the room. Hermione gaped at the extent of the lab and the equipment it possessed.

            “Wow—this is amaz—”

            “I know.” Dr. Riddle cut her off. “Here.”

He handed her a bleached white lab coat with _H. Granger_ embroidered on it in jade thread. Hermione turned, and noticed Riddle was already wearing his lab coat, the smooth lines of it covering him like a second skin. Hermione slowly put hers on as she watched Dr. Riddle move to a side desk covered in neatly stacked files. He rifled through the files before selecting one and pushing it toward Hermione.

            “This is the project you will be assisting me with.”

Hermione moved closer and scanned the file, her eyes moving quickly across the page. She suddenly looked up, her eyes bright, grinning widely.

            “We are going to _grow human kidneys?_ ” Hermione almost shrieked.

            Riddle smirked, looking arrogant.

            “In theory, embryonic stem cells can develop into any type of tissue. We take embryonic tissue and blast it with the proper amino acids and hormones to make the tissue develop into renal tissue. After it reaches the proper phase, we implant it into the donor to keep it growing.” He strode toward the far end of the lab.

            “We are still in the testing phase,” he said to Hermione, who was trailing behind him, “just ready to start animal testing.”

            Riddle stopped abruptly, and gestured to a brightly lit cage, which was filled with numerous white—

            “Rats,” Hermione whispered, “we are going to grow kidneys in _rats.”_

“The surgery is laproscopic,” Dr. Riddle said, scooping up a rat by the tail, “it barely hurts them. They don’t even know they are growing a new kidney.”

            He turned the rat over and pointed with a long finger to a point on the rat’s belly. “A small incision and a touch of anesthesia is all it takes.”

            Hermione reached out and took the rat from him, her hand brushing his. She ran her fingers over the soft white fur of the rat, imagining.

            “If this works, for humans, we could save so many lives.”

            Dr. Riddle bared his teeth, staring at Hermione’s hand.

            “We could open a new field of scientific innovation,” he said. “Our names would be remembered.”

            Riddle stared at Hermione for a split second more, then took the rat back from her and placed it in the cage.

            “Read the files on the desk while I put together amino acid solutions,” he said, “I want you to be completely prepared before we begin.”

            Hermione nodded, her brain sparkling with anticipation and fervor.

            “I’m ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for short chapters, but Tom lives in the same apartment building whaaaaaaaaa  
> and Hermione is nerding out

**Author's Note:**

> So this happened instead of updating the other one.  
> Hermione's got herself a new job and Tom's got himself a lovely and intelligent new assistant  
> mwaaaahahahha


End file.
